Charter Champion of the Month: Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership

Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP), an agency dedicated to bringing Saskatchewan goods and services to the world, has made the commitment to support women-owned businesses by signing WESK’s Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter. STEP provides critical support for Saskatchewan’s exporters in established markets while tapping into new markets through a comprehensive suite of programs and services.

Signing the Charter was a natural progression for STEP. Many of their most successful members are women. Chris Dekker, CEO of STEP says “Over the years, STEP and WESK have worked closely to support and promote women exporters in Saskatchewan. The Charter Champion initiative will not only expand on this effort but will help create new opportunities for women to engage on the international stage.”

Saskatchewan is one of the most export dependent provinces in one of the most export dependent countries in the world. (STEP, 2021) The province relies on the economic activity created by Saskatchewan exporters to generate jobs, taxes, and royalties to fund everything from education and health care to roads and infrastructure. By making the commitment to support women entrepreneurs, STEP is recognizing the value women bring to the Saskatchewan economy.

STEP is currently working on two of the Charter principles, Share Skills with Her and Shatter a Ceiling. STEP offers a full suite of programs designed to help Saskatchewan exporters reach their full potential. Through mentoring and training, STEP hopes to advance more women into exports by helping them gain access to market entry and preparing them for international opportunities. They also recognize the importance of having women in leadership roles. STEP is proud to express that over the past 10 years, women representation on their Board of Directors has increased from 21% to 47%.

STEP recently celebrated 25 years of supporting Saskatchewan exporters. Over the past 25 years, Saskatchewan has seen remarkable growth in international trade with total exports more than tripling to $30.3B in 2020. (STEP, 2021) By signing the Charter and making supplier diversity a priority, STEP is paving the way for women exporters in other provinces. STEP is proud to recognize the contributions their women members make to our economy and look forward to supporting them further through this initiative.

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter
The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

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Charter Champion of the Month: Conexus Credit Union

Conexus, a forward-thinking, innovative credit union, made the commitment to advancing gender parity and equality by signing the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter in 2021. Conexus is dedicated to improving the financial well-being of their members and communities by creating simple, personal, and empowering experiences that are transformational, not just transactional. As a local co-operative, Conexus’ profits are returned to their members through rates, no-fee accounts, and community investment.

“Conexus is proud to work with so many female entrepreneurs, leaders, founders, and changemakers across the province every day, and we’re excited to be a part of this movement to amplify our ongoing investment in women entrepreneurs,” says Conexus Vice President of Member & Community Engagement, Nicole Westerlund. “We celebrate the strong female leaders across our organization and in our communities today, and we’ll be here to champion, support and celebrate the next generation of local women entrepreneurs.”

Signing the Charter was an easy choice for Conexus. They have a long history of empowering female leaders through mentorship, development opportunities and business financing. They have proudly achieved gender equality on their Board of Directors, and within their Executive Leadership Team. While Conexus has started to move the needle towards gender equality, they acknowledge that there is still more work that needs to be done and remain committed to continuing to lead this change for future generations.

Conexus is currently focusing on Principle two of the Charter, Amplify Her Voice. The objective of this principle is to give women entrepreneurs the opportunity to broaden their customer base through co-promotion, recognition, and accelerator programs that give her the boost she needs to scale her business.

It is a priority for Conexus to recognize gender bias and consider how they finance, fund, and support female business members and this is why, since the launching of the Conexus Venture Capital Inc. in 2019, they have invested in six companies with a female founder or at least one woman on the founding team. Conexus is proud to share that as of Q4 2021, every single one of these companies has seen a fair market value gain on the initial investment. It is their estimate that each of their woman-founded companies are performing with an 80%-90% IRR.

Conexus’ support for female-founders also spans across its business incubator company, Cultivator, as they have supported a total of 29 female-founded startups in Saskatchewan, nine of which are currently in their GROW and SCALE programming. To date, these companies have generated over $2.3 million in revenue, raised over $1.5 million in capital and received over $1.8 million in government funding.

Conexus is Saskatchewan’s largest credit union. Being a part of the community is fundamental to who they are as a business. One of their key values is to “Be Bold & Creative,” to act with courage, be curious and challenge the status quo. Signing the Charter falls within this value, and Conexus looks forward to being a part of moving the needle closer to gender parity in Saskatchewan. Join WESK in celebrating this month’s Charter Champion, Conexus.

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

Related Resources

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Charter Champion of the Month: Federated Co-operatives Limited

WESK is pleased to feature Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), a wholesaling, manufacturing, marketing, and administrative co-operative owned by more than 160 independent local co-operative associations. FCL has made the commitment to work towards gender parity by signing WESK’s Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter.

Creating a diverse and inclusive space that allows for equal and equitable opportunity for all is a priority for FCL.

“The Charter provides an opportunity for us, one of Saskatchewan’s largest employers, to develop practical initiatives that support the success of women entrepreneurs in the province,” said Shauna Wilkinson, Vice-President of People and Culture.

FCL is committed to having a workplace culture that supports a more engaged, high-performing, and innovative workforce. Their vision for diversity and inclusion is for all employees to bring their whole self to work: a vision that is important to them and the communities they operate in. With the breadth of their business and the scope of their reach, signing the Charter made good business sense.

“I am pleased that FCL is a signatory on WESK’s Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter,” said Wilkinson. “Our business is largely business-to-business, but while we focus on serving our independent local co-operative members, we also work with other businesses and individuals.

FCL is committed to making diversity and inclusion a vital part of their culture. Their Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) continues to amplify the voice of women in the organization. This network allows employees to connect, learn and develop through committee meetings and a speaker series all employees are welcome to attend. WIN Speaker Series topics have included “All Genders as Allies to Women in the Workplace” and “Perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour,” which featured an all-women panel. An upcoming session stems from their Book Study Group’s current read, Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace. This next session will focus on men as allies for women.

By signing the Charter and making the commitment to support women-owned businesses, FCL is affirming Co-op’s inclusive brand – You’re at Home Here. Join WESK in celebrating Federated Co-operatives Limited as this month’s Charter Champion.

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

Related Resources

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Charter Champion of the Month: Co-operatives First

We are pleased to welcome Co-operatives First as a proud champion of the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter. By signing the Charter, Co-operatives First is committing to advancing gender parity and equality through economic activity. Co-operatives First is a remarkable Saskatchewan-based organization that promotes and supports business development in rural and Indigenous communities across western Canada. The co-operative model allows individuals set up a business or organization, and work with like-minded people towards a common goal.

Executive Director, Audra Krueger, understands firsthand the need to support women in business. “Women are often central to the creation and success of co-operative businesses. I’ve been watching this trend unfold across western Canada and I’m happy to support these dedicated women as they innovate and build the economy,” shared Audra.

Signing on to the Charter was critical to Co-operatives First, as it was important for them to evaluate how well they are supporting women entrepreneurs within the community. The Charter has also encouraged them to measure how they are supporting female employees, as well as the service providers they hire. The Charter has enabled Co-operatives First to hold themselves accountable by setting intentions and backing them with measurable goals.

Currently, Co-operatives First is working on “Principle 3: Share Skills with Her” by prioritizing professional development for female employees. In addition to supporting continued skill development as well as leadership training, Co-operatives First is looking to “Principle 4: Shatter a Ceiling” by helping to equip women to take on more leadership roles.

At their core, Co-operatives First hopes to help communities build new businesses, grow local economies, and support community development. By signing the Charter, they are committing to help advance gender parity and equality in Saskatchewan.

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

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Charter Champion of the Month: WOW Factor Media

WESK is delighted to present WOW Factor Media as one of our influential Charter Champions. As a business leader herself, CEO Ashley Drummond understands the importance of breaking down barriers for women within the entrepreneurial space. Ashley wants to leverage her experience to help other women-owned businesses and future entrepreneurs reach their goals.

The WOW Factor Media team has quickly become one of Saskatchewan’s leading social media marketing firms, specializing in strategic online marketing services, web design and development, graphic design, and full-scale marketing plans. They serve small and medium size businesses, as well as public and private organizations throughout Western Canada.

As a proudly woman-led and majority women-owned and operated business, Ashley is committed to moving the needle forward to improve the gender entrepreneurship gap within Saskatchewan. “Every day, I am inspired by the talents, smarts, and hustle of Saskatchewan’s business leaders. Wow Factor Media is majority women-owned and operated and our stakeholders are huge advocates for diversity and inclusion in all facets of business, so supporting this initiative was an easy yes for us.”

Signing on to the Charter directly aligns with Wow Factor Media’s beliefs. They believe that success in business should be a result of hard work and great services, and that gender should have no consequence on one’s opportunities.

As a Charter Champion, Wow Factor Media is doing their part to push for higher diversity and inclusion in business ownership and entrepreneurship by including the Charter’s four key principles into their corporate values. Currently, they have begun working on “Principle 3: Share Skills with Her” by volunteering their time to WESK’s All Access program to help women in business with their marketing needs. Wow Factor Media is also working on how they can integrate “Principle 2: Amplify Her Voice” into their own marketing plan by using their brand strength and large social media audiences to help other women entrepreneurs shine online.

“We believe that by committing to the Charter, we can do our part to help build the confidence and strength of women entrepreneurs throughout the province,” said Ashley.

By signing the Charter, WOW Factor Media hopes their support may strengthen and grow the woman owned business community, so that one day gender can disappear as an indicator of opportunities and success in business. As a family owned and operated business, and proud members of WESK’s The Exchange, Wow Factor Media has seen firsthand what women in business can do when given the chance to shine and reach their full potential.

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

Related Resources

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Charter Champion of the Month: Peter Lucas Project Management

We are pleased to introduce to you Peter Lucas Project Management, one of WESK’s amazing Charter Champions. As a proud advocate for gender parity, joining the Charter was important for the leadership team, as they consider women-led businesses to be a largely untapped economic resource within Saskatchewan.

Since 2011, Peter Lucas Project Management has been specializing in representing client interests by aligning skill and personality with team and opportunity to ensure project success. Combining experience with the courage to take on big problems, Peter Lucas is driving Saskatchewan’s innovation by engaging visionary leaders in the mission to mine in space.

As a Charter Champion, Peter Lucas is thrilled to be supporting women entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan. COO, Brandon Harris believes that “supporting women-owned businesses is good for the economy and our society in general. If you consider that in 2020 only approximately 2% of all venture capital was invested in women-led start-ups (Feb 25th, Harvard Business Review) and believe, as I do, that talent does not discriminate on gender, sex, colour, etc., then you will certainly agree that we have a lot of room for improvement. Women entrepreneurs that are able to overcome this apparent bias deserve intentional support!”

Joining the Charter enhances Peter Lucas Project Management’s commitment to working towards developing teams that support diversity and provide safe, supportive, and empowering work environments for everyone. The team at Peter Lucas are proud to support women entrepreneurs and influencers, specifically those in non-traditional roles, and aim to be part of the network that dismantles any barriers that prevent their full participation in Saskatchewan’s economic growth.

“This is where the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is so valuable. It provides a roadmap for business owners and operators to start working towards a more equitable and prosperous economy and a better-balanced society. At Peter Lucas, we are proud to walk this path with other Saskatchewan signatories and want to thank WESK for charting the path forward,” said Harris.

Peter Lucas Project Management has proudly begun work “Sharing Skills with Her” and “Shattering a Ceiling”. They have become members of Women in Mining – SK and are actively participating in their training committee. Through the Charter, Peter Lucas Management is excited to utilize WESK’s Women-Owned Business Database for a more intentional procurement strategy, as well as find more ways to continue to “Amplify Her Voice”.

The overarching goal for Peter Lucas Project Management is to move humanity forward by impacting families, communities, and the world. As a team of dynamic professionals who value growth, embrace change, and have the courage to go after something as BIG as mining an asteroid, they are thrilled to be a part of creating a space to close the gender entrepreneurship gap in Saskatchewan.

Pictured: The Peter Lucas team at the company’s 10th Anniversary celebration.

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

Related Resources

Back to News & Articles

Charter Champion of the Month: SaskPower

SaskPower, a highly influential organization in the province, has made the commitment to support women-owned businesses by signing WESK’s Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter. SaskPower serves more than 538,000 customers and employs over 3,100 permanent staff, making them the principal electric utility company. This article marks the launch of WESK’s Charter Champion Stories, where each month, a new Charter Champion will be showcased.

“SaskPower firmly believes in advancing women entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan and will continue to actively look for opportunities to do so, which is why we have signed onto the Charter,” said SaskPower President and CEO Mike Marsh. “SaskPower is committed to a sustainable supply chain and this partnership with WESK will allow SaskPower to continue to build a diverse chain of suppliers and help support women-owned businesses in Saskatchewan.”

SaskPower has a goal to build new partnerships that improve innovation, competitiveness, and drive value. As part of their supplier diversity program, they have made significant strides in developing their Indigenous suppliers. They are proud to now include women-owned businesses into their initiative.

“This partnership fits so nicely with SaskPower’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy,” said Kathy McCrum, Vice President, Human Resources & Safety. “We have put significant focus on changing our traditional norms to allow for more space and opportunities for women to succeed at SaskPower. We know we have more work to do, but our executive leadership is committed to continuing to take intentional action to ensure women are more representative in our workforce and in our supply chain.”

SaskPower is looking forward to executing on principle one of the Charter, “Procure with Her”. They have a list of goals, including establishing procurement baselines and targets for women-owned suppliers, advocating for gender diversity in the supply chain and creating training for women looking to bid on contracts. By signing the Charter and working on these objectives, SaskPower is proving that Saskatchewan is paving the way for gender entrepreneurship parity.

Expanding supplier diversity to include women-owned businesses is a team effort at SaskPower. Their procurement team is excited to be part of the initiative to ensure a diverse and inclusive supply chain. SaskPower looks forward to showing real results that will support a future of equal opportunities.

Rhea Brown leads SaskPower’s procurement area and says that this focus on supplier diversity is part of being a sustainable company.  “SaskPower is expected to be a leader and support positive change.  We are already benefiting from diversity in our supply chain.  By encouraging equity and inclusion within our vendors, we are seeing better agility, innovation, and competition.  It’s a good business decision for SaskPower.” 

About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter

The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.

Related Resources

  1. Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter: https://wesk.ca/supporting-women/sk-women-entrepreneurship-charter/
  2. Woman-Owned Saskatchewan Business Brand Identity: https://wesk.ca/supporting-women/women-owned-business-about
  3. Women-Owned Business Database: https://wesk.ca/supporting-women/browse-database/
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